Republic of Korea

 

Republic of Korea regulations

General requirements for import

Act on Testing and Inspection in the Food and Drug Industry: ensures the reliability of tests and inspections by prescribing matters concerning the testing and inspection of food and the management of inspection. Ultimately, these prescriptions contribute to the improvement of public health.

Agricultural and Marine Products Quality Control Act: Provides guidance about the appropriate quality control of agricultural and marine products, promoting fair transactions and protecting the health of consumers. The Act also establishes which safety tests need to be performed on marine products and details how to collect test samples.

Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control: Provides guidance on the registration of foreign food facilities and establishments, the procedures for import suspension, the results of the inspections, the designation of imported food sanitation audit institutions and the import declaration of imported food.

Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management: Provides guidance on the control of all steps before importation and during the customs clearance process. This Act contributes to responsible trade and to improving public health by ensuring the safety of imported food, promoting improvement in the quality thereof, and providing clear information.

Additives, contaminants, antimicrobials and residues

Korea Food Additives Code 2019: Provides information about additives that are permitted to be added to food sold in the Republic of Korea and their maximum limits.

2017 Pesticides MRLs in Food: provides details on veterinary drugs and contaminants, as well as permitted maximum limits in fishery products.

You can find the “2017 Pesticides MRLs in Food” at the following link: https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/brd/m_15/view.do?seq=72123

Microbiological and Organic Criteria

Food code: providing microbiological criteria for fishery products in the Article 6 “Specifications for Fishery Products”.

You can find the “Food Code” at the following link: https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/brd/m_15/view.do?seq=69982

Traceability

National plan of action of the Republic of Korea to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (2014): aims at combating IUU fishing, thereby promoting the sustainability of the global fisheries.

You can find the plan at the following link:

http://www.fao.org/fishery/docs/DOCUMENT/IPOAS/national/KoreaRep/NPOA_IUU_Korea_Republic.pdf

Enforcement rule of the special act on imported food safety control: providing guidance about imported food subject to traceability and the need of application for registration.

Framework act on food safety: providing guidance about the establishment of food safety policies and the implementation of an emergency system and a traceability investigation.

In cases where food causes any critical hazard to public health, the Government shall establish and operate a system to urgently respond to prevent or minimize any harm to the public in advance.

Labelling and Packaging

Foods Labelling Standards of the Korea Food & Drug Administration: provide guidance about the necessary standards for labelling and aim to promote hygienic handling of food. They provide precise information to consumers and secure fair trade by defining requirements.

They set foods labelling standards and requirements for utensils, containers, and packages, as well as for nutrition labelling of food subject to the labelling of nutritional components.

You can find the “Foods Labelling Standards” at the following link: https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/brd/m_15/view.do?seq=70814

How do we find the last consolidated version of the regulations?

In order to find the last consolidated version of the legal text please insert the name of the legal text in the box Law Title at the following link: http://www.law.go.kr/eng/engMain.do

 

Last update: 21/04/2020


Cover photo: WFP/Colin Kampschoer

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